The One That Got Away

Chapter 7

I rode on through the foggy forest with only the sound of the croaking frogs and the chirping crickets as my company. I longed for rest as my eyes were growing drowsy. The darkness of the night was about to swallow me, but I lit a lantern and rode on. I anxiously looked around hopping for something, anything that could be a place for me to rest. I didn’t want to end up like I had with the wolf again. I raced along the trees, being aware of my surroundings.

I nearly gave up when I saw a faint light and I rode towards it. When I came around a tree I saw it was a small cottage. It was white and lined with wood around everything. When I said small, I literally meant small. The door was three quarters of my size with the windows looking like mini portholes. I parked my horse near a tree and I held onto my satchel that had my sleeping dog in it.

I put my hood on over my head and it fell in the right position, not completely covering my face, but just enough. I steadily approached the door and I lightly knocked. I hopped I was not interrupting anyone’s slumber. I knocked lightly again, still no answer. I was about to give up and turn around when I saw a dimmed candle light eliminating the darkness inside. I heard a bunch of clicks, turns , and slides on the door. I stepped back as the door flung open and I was thrown slightly back when it swung open and a large cooking knife was pointed up in my direction.

I was thrown to the ground and my dog muffled in response to the impact of the fall. I put my hands up in a surrender as a slimmed figure was coming towards me. ‘Who are you? What do you want?” The voice sounded demanding but was trying to hide a hint of fear. I was at a loss for words and she was shaking the knife close to me. “Are you with him? Take your hood off.”

I slowly reached to the edge of my hood that was near my face. I never took my eyes off her face. I pulled my hood down and her stiff face loosened a little. “Who are you?” I looked her down and gulped down my nerves and tried to put on a brave face. “My name is Journey.” A shocked look on her face and then she looked from side to side as if someone would pop out of nowhere.

She made a notion for me to follow her and I quickly ran to my horse and tied her reigns to the tree. I grabbed my satchel from Maggie and ran to the door and ducked in as the woman shut the door behind me and I saw what the sounds were, locks. She locked them all back up and she moved the curtain and looked out.

She turned around and walked over and got more candles and placed them on the small table and lit them. “I am so sorry. There is just so many things that could have happened. So much at once, so much at once.” She was creating a check list on her hand with her finger. She remembered something and put her hands on my shoulders and sat me in one of the short seats. I adjusted my hair on either side of my face as I watched her run around the kitchen panicking and she finally found what she was looking for.

She grabbed a mug and poured a liquid in it and brought it over to me with a spoon. She sat across from me at the large table and had a mug of tea in front of her. She scanned me ,as I did her. She had pale blue eyes and long black hair the fell beneath her shoulder blades. She looked young, within her early 20s, and had fair and delicate pale skin that would look strange on anyone else, but she made it look beautiful. She gave me a smile and I forced one back.

I sipped some of the soup and smiled as it warmed me as it trickled down my throat. “This is excellent soup, thank you,” She looked like she had just remembered something. “Oh, thank you. My name is Mary White, but everyone calls me Snow.” She gave me a weary smile, but I could tell something was on her mind. It was the same expression Maggie first gave me when we met.

“So what brings you to these woods, Journey?”She said my name like it was a gift she has been waiting to get for Christmas. “You’d think it was crazy,” I told her, but she gave me a face that said she has heard crazy before.” I took one more sip of the soup to finish it off, but then gulped it down and looked at her.